Jeni Arndt, Democrat, is running for re-election to the Colorado House of Representatives, District 53, in the Nov. 3 election.
She assumed office in January 2015, and her term is scheduled to end on January 13, 2021. Arndt advanced from the Democratic primary in June of this year.
Arndt, married with three children, was born and raised in Fort Collins, attending Poudre High School and, later on, Colorado College.
“Fort Collins has been home since I was three weeks old,” Arndt said on her website.
Prior to running for office, Arndt was on the school board in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Maputo, Mozambique, for the American International School, according to the Coloradoan. She also serves on the Colorado Commission of Higher Education in an advisory capacity, according to her website.
“We aren’t providing adequate basic services already,” Arndt said in an interview with the Coloradoan. “We are 49/50 in funding higher education and almost as bad in K-12. We are also the 49th smallest state government per capita.”
“Public education is one of the critical issues we face in House District 53,” her website reads.
“Over time — through schooling, work and volunteering — I have gained knowledge and experience, leading to insights I hope to share by contributing to the welfare of my community.” -State House candidate Jeni Arndt’s website
Arndt believes that, for the most part, Colorado has handled the pandemic well. In an interview with the Coloradoan, she said that authorized local control is effective because Colorado has such a wide array of landscapes and population densities. However, Arndt thinks that citizens would benefit from a broader national plan and a schedule for reopening derived from science.
“I also think that sticking right to the best science available and being transparent with citizens is the only way we will be able to cope in the long run,” Arndt said according to the Coloradoan.
Arndt’s three strands of legislation are “natural resources/environment with an emphasis on water,” “public education” and “good governance with an emphasis on voter access, getting money out of politics (and) alternative voting methods to increase voter participation,” according to the Coloradoan.
Arndt serves as the vice chair of the Council of State Government West’s Agriculture and Water Committee. According to their website, the committee, “(engages) in policy discussions and the exchange of information about agriculture … as well as how to better manage our regional water supply.”
Earlier in 2020, Ardnt introduced a bill that could allow farmers and other major water users to use water more efficiently. This bill could, potentially, help conserve large amounts water.
In addition, Arndt sponsored a bill that “authorizes the Colorado Water Conservation Board to augment stream flows to preserve or improve the natural environment.”
Recently, Fort Collins implemented water restrictions in an effort to combat the levels of water usage.
“Over time — through schooling, work and volunteering — I have gained knowledge and experience, leading to insights I hope to share by contributing to the welfare of my community,” Arndt said on her website.
Arndt could not be reached for comment by The Collegian’s deadline.
Jackson Braitberg can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @JBraitberg.
